Around the Shop #17: Self made Bench hold downs

I’ve wanted a few of these ever since I finished my bench. I just always had a hard time justifying the cost. A short while ago I was working on my bench and really could have used these, so they moved up in my to-do list.

They are made out of 5/8” hardened rods. These rods where part of concrete forms many many years ago. I cut the rod with a circular saw with a metal cut off wheel. (I have a horizontal metal bandsaw, but these rods take the teeth off the blades) The part that makes contact with the wood is a piece of flat stock I also had laying around.

Now, I haven’t welded anything in some time, and the only thing I have for a welder is an old mig welder I believe came from Harbor Freight probably 25 years ago. I have converted it to just a wire feed using gas-less flux-core wire after the gas lines started leaking. I can not longer find the right size tips, and the nozzle cone is remade from a piece of cooper pipe with a 5/8 nut drove in it. It still works however, and I could even tell on the second hold down I started getting back into the rhythm.

It took some grinding and re welding a couple of times, but that was expected. A coat of black paint to finish them off, and another addition to my shop complete.

way to go Don :-)just wonder if you have got the right spring in them as the forged have as they were made with both the carpenter and the smith in collaboration so they fit the single carpenter and the way he worked

Dennis, I’ve already used them a bit today. They work really well. I choose the particular rod because its stiff but has some spring. I was cutting some dove tails and could just push them down with my hand and they would hold.